Rain Date
by minatochan2
Summary: A rainy day can steal your plans but it can also give you something even more precious, ONE SHOT. Little-Naruto. Fluff. No Pairings.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto. If I did, my name would start with Masashi and end with Kishimoto.

* * *

"Tou-chan, can I go outside now?"

Minato looked up from the paper work sprawled across the kitchen table. "Sorry Naruto-chan. It looks like it's going to rain and heavily at that." He eyed the gray clouds outside that rolled across the sky in ominous, large clumps.

Naruto stuck out his tongue in defiance which only received a shake from his father's head. "But it's not raining now! We can go to the park or maybe-"

The hokage held up his hand to signal him to be silent. "Out of the question! Ka-chan will end me if you get sick from playing in the rain." A shiver ran up his spine at the thought of an infuriated Kushina, no doubt with her flaming red hair thrashing wildly around her head as she prepared a punch aimed for him. He swallowed it down and settled back into his paper work.

"Tou-chan?"

"Yes, son?"

"Shikamaru told me yesterday that that was just an 'old wives' tale'."

Minato frowned. "Even so, it's one your ka-chan believes." For him, that was enough to keep the toddler inside and, believing the discussion had ended, picked up one of the ink brushes to his right. He penned his signature in elegant, sweeping strokes: a long-standing port and a gust of billowing wind followed shortly by his title as the fire shadow.

"Tou-chan?"

"Yes?"

"Why does it rain?"

Minato set down the brush with a defeated sigh. _Looks like I'm not getting any work done today_. He continued to organize the papers into neat piles until the table was left little more than a managed mess. "Well," he started, closing the cap to his ink pot with a pleased _click_. How could he explain the process of the water cycle to a three-year-old? He finally decided on the standard way to avoid a conversation that would ultimately lead to nowhere: "I'll tell you when you're older."

Naruto shoved his face into a cushion and let out a low groan.

* * *

"Tou-chan?" Naruto asked, his face hovering over the back of the couch. It was hard for him to balance on the tips of his feet and he clutched to the edges of the sofa for support.

Minato pried his eyes from his book to look back at his son.

"I'm bored dattebayo."

"Why don't you find something to do?"

The toddler gazed around the room and found nothing. He had already played with all of his toys and his tou-chan seemed to be the only sense of entertainment left unadulterated. He planned to milk the conversation for all it was worth. "Maybe I could go outside?" Naruto prodded a sly grin on his face.

Minato set the book on the arm of the couch, beckoning his son to come to his front. The boy complied and lifted himself onto the man's lap with some aid. Once he was situated contently on his elder's lap, the conversation continued. "We've been through this already." Minato raised his finger pointedly. "You could catch a cold."

Naruto pouted with his arms folded across his chest. He already knew the terms of his "imprisonment" and aimed to return a similarly wounding blow to his tou-chan. "Are you afraid of the rain Tou-chan?"

The blonde supplied a patient laugh. "No son. Saying you can't go outside does not make me afraid of the rain."

"Are you afraid of Ka-chan?"

Minato held his tongue, ruffling the child's hair nervously. The panic was clearly expressed in his falsified grin. "Um, of course not! I love your ka-chan!" It wasn't a lie. At least, half of it…

The evasion was not missed by the youth and he accepted the endearment with a satisfied smile. _Direct hit._

* * *

Another hour slothfully passed by. Naruto was situated on an indent in the living room wall. Panes of windows surrounded him to his right, rain trickling down the glass frames.

Minato made his way into the room, blindly gesturing for the boy to follow "Naruto-chan it's time fo-" He paused, his eyes catching on the figure of his son looking encased in what seemed to be the equivalent of depression. Naruto had not heard a single word he had said.

Minato moved closer until his hand was placed lovingly on his shoulder. "You feeling okay?" he asked lightly, kneeling down so he was level with his son.

"Yeah." The response was hushed as if the question deserved much contemplation. Minato let his vision drift from Naruto's face out to the darkening sky. Was he really _that_ upset about being cooped up in here?

Rain dripped from the surrounding roof tops and pelted the few street-walkers two flights below. The tranquility of the storm snapped like a twig as a flash of lightning slashed the sky in two, flaunting its strobe-like tendencies. This was followed swiftly by a crack of thunder during which the young boy released a sharp shriek and clung to his protector's torso. Minato reacted instantly closing his arms around his son in a soft hug. After a few moments of soothing his fear, the man presented a question that was half serious, half in jest, "Naruto-chan, are you afraid of the rain?"

"Noo!" came in reply and the addressed child made a face as if to add: _Are you stupid? Of course not! _His swell of confidence promptly ended and he burrowed his face back into his tou-chan's shirt. "But the lightning…dattebayo…" he admittedly quietly.

Minato hummed in agreement, sitting in his son's previous spot with the boy nestled close to his chest. The pair was at peace with watching the streaking water and listening the gentle beat of the rain.

"Tou-chan?"

"Yes son?"

"Am I old enough yet?"

The hokage moved his calm gaze to Naruto, stroking some of the stray bangs shadowing his face to the side. "Hmm?"

"Am I old enough for you to tell me?"

Minato blinked his eyes in confusion as the question's meaning eluded him.

"Why it rains, am I old enough?"

"Ah," Minato purred nestling his cheek into the familiar blonde tufts. He pondered the inquiry until he finally decided on the explanation he himself had been given as a child. "I suppose I can tell you."

Naruto's attention piqued. "Really?" He sounded as if he was caught somewhere between wonder and disbelief.

Minato nodded faintly. "Some people believe that when it rains, it's because God is crying."

The toddler digested this information, returning his eyes back to the bleeding clouds. "Why would God be crying Tou-chan?"

Minato shook his head. "I don't know son. I don't know."

An ANBU made his way through the door, letting it slide closed on its own. "I brought you some more food; I know you've been running low." The dog-masked man said openly, setting a bag on the empty kitchen table. "What have you been up to?"

Naruto beamed, running up to meet the jounin. "I've been talking to Tou-chan."

"Tou-chan?" He received an enthusiastic nod. "Yeah, he's right in here." The toddler took the ANBU's hand and led him to the other room. He had already begun to point toward the seat but instead was hit by a wave of shock.

"Naruto-kun," the ANBU stated evenly. "There's no one here."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

For me, this story was fairly quick and to the point but it was a plot-bunny that has been gnawing on me for a while. I hope you found the ending to be a bit of a shocker (did I trick anyone into thinking Minato was actually alive? No?) and maybe made some of you laugh at little-Naruto's attempts to poke fun at Minato. I know I was the type of kid who tried to get back at my family members in ways that would get the point across without getting me in trouble. x3 EVIL BUT SUCCESSFUL!

Please review and tell me what you thought or what I could improve on (constructive-criticism is always welcome :D). Thanks for reading!

Minatochan2


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